Before we start, get your mind out of the gutter. ‘Fanny’ is the technical term for being on the losing end of a game of petanque without scoring any points.
I might be jumping the gun here, until recently I didn’t have a clue what petanque was either. Hailing from our friends across the pond, petanque is a sport which involves throwing metal balls as close as possible to a target or “jack”, similar to boules.
However, unlike boules, not everybody who plays has one foot in the grave.
Megan Winter, a 22 year old from Leicester, who has represented England at the World Championship in France said:
“I think most people have misconceptions about petanque, or just don’t have a clue what it is. There are lots of games similar to it. Boules for instance, or boccia which is played with a set of colourful balls, I bet lots of people remember having a go at it in their childhood.”
Though being somewhat of a niche in England, petanque has a huge player base in France, Megan said:
“Everyone plays it over there. It’s how most people here have owned a football at some point in their life, in France everybody’s owned a set of petanque boules.”
But how do you play?
It can be done in teams or individually. Once a player has tossed the jack others take turns throwing metal balls as close to it as possible. The team with the balls closest to the jack scores a point. Seems simple enough, but it’s not just about accuracy. You can attempt to block an opponent’s balls or knock them away, adding a layer of strategy to the game.
“Keep it chill, you don’t have to stress about getting your aim perfect straight away. Just focus on getting the hang of it and enjoying the vibe. My favourite event of the year is the Coates Village Open in Peterborough. You don’t have to be registered to play there, I bring along friends who don’t have a clue what they’re doing and we have a great time,” said Megan.
The joy of petanque is that it can be played on almost any flat, open space. It’s an easy way to get outside and have some fun with mates, without needing access to facilities like a pitch. You can play it at the beach, in a park or maybe even at your local boozer.
“It’s quite daunting to just go and join a club. Nearly all younger people in the sport were introduced to it by friends or family, which is a shame because it’s a fun game anyone can take part in. Luckily a fair share of pubs have a piste (the court which it is played on) so it’s easy enough to go out and give it a go,” said Megan.
So why not have a try? Just don’t be hard on yourself if you wind up a fanny.
